Some conventional screw jacks are provided with a thumb wheel which is attached to the side gear of the jack. The thumb wheel permits one to manually partially extend the jack without the use of the conventional handle to thereby put the screw train in compression and minimize internal rattle during stowage in a vehicle.
Such thumb wheels, universally constructed of a metallic material, require the use of a separate fastener to attach the same to the side gear. As such, the traditional thumb wheel hub must be attached to the side gear which represents a tedious and costly assembly step. Moreover, the metallic thumb wheel and additional fastener themselves add to the cost of the jack.